Ten Minutes
by Kimmo Pronger
Summary: Athena had ten minutes to talk to him. Just ten. And then, they will become enemies. A conversation that takes place...before the intersection of the Dual Destinies collide.


**Unknown Date  
10:01 PM  
Detention Center **

"You have ten minutes to talk to him, Miss," the guard sternly told her.

Athena Cykes squawked at the guard. "T-Ten minutes?! There's a lot I need to say to this man! Let me have my time!"

"Actually, it was him who said you had ten minutes to talk to him. Not me. He looks like he doesn't want to see you too. Do you really want to go through with this?" The guard asked with concern. Although, the guard was thinking in his mind that he was in the midst of some kind of lover's quarrel of sorts.

Athena would know why _he_ didn't want to see her. But she didn't care. She was going to give him a piece of her mind, no matter what. "...I am. Now take me to him."

"Very well…" The guard monotonously acknowledged.

About a minute later, Athena was escorted to his visitation room by the guard. The glass was the only thing separating them from physical contact. She slowly made her way to the seat in front of the glass, and sat down on it. There, she was facing the man who would get in the way of her goal: Simon Blackquill.

The air felt thick in the room. Seven long years of no contact would finally be broken. What would be their first words between each other?

"…Ten minutes. Starting now. I will only give you that much time. Do you understand?" The man's voice said it in a tone that meant he was deadly serious about those ten minutes.

She nodded at him. "Ten minutes. I understand. That's all I'll need."

* * *

He crossed his arms at her, never smiling. "You've come back, I see. And I think I know just what it is you came back here to do. You could have had a promising career in Europe but you decided to just trot back to the past and salvage what's left of it, I see."

Athena blinked once before she replied, "It's something worth salvaging. That person, he's worth salvaging. I'm going to save him, Mr. Blackquill and you're going to see that I'm not the girl from seven years ago that you remember. He's the entire reason why I'm here right now. I couldn't just ditch while he's in a rut."

Simon leaned forward with his right arm anchored on the small ledge near the glass. "Then let me ask you something, little girl. What if I were to tell you that he's moved on and that he couldn't care less about you?"

"You know that's not true, Mr. Blackquill. I know he still cares," she said without fear.

"Hmph…" He reclined back into a normal sitting position. "Is he really a part of your future? Do you really see yourself in the future with this person once you save him? He gave you his life so that you'd have one. A shame it would be if you were to waste it."

Athena laid clenched fists in both her hands on the ledge of her side of the glass. "Mr. Blackquill, I don't need to take that from you. I came here to fix something that I caused a long time ago. I'm here to face my past and my fears. I'm here to set right what was wrong because of me."

Simon mulled over it for a moment by mumbling to himself and averting his eyes from her for a moment. Then, he looked back at her again with those cold eyes. "I love your gumption, missy. But you're in over your head. I'd rather you not learn that the hard way. What makes you think you have the resources to do all this alo-"

"I'm not alone, Mr. Blackquill. I have made some friends while I was away."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Oh? Friends? For your sake, I hope these friends are those that actually respect you."

"…They do. I may be a newbie at their law office but I know that with their help, I can have confidence to do this!" Athena took one fist and drove it to her other hand that was open-palmed.

Simon scoffed at her. "You do realize that I'm standing in the way of your goal, do you? You realize what my occupation is, don't you? Don't think that I will let sentimentality get in the way of doing my job effectively, Cykes-dono."

Athena was unwavering against Simon's intimidation voice. She knew his tricks and strategies, and she wasn't going to fall for that. "I know who you are, Mr. Blackquill. But I won't let that hold me back. I will learn what I can from my new friends and then I am going to save that person. I'll mean the world to me if I can set him free…"

Simon raised both his fists that were bounded by the shackles and then slammed them onto the desk. "That is an easy sentiment from one who has never experienced the real world of law! You are making easy sentiments for someone who has yet to get their feet wet in the water as an adult!"

Athena stood up, looked down at Simon, and then slammed both her hands onto the ledge. "I'm making these sentiments with fear that I'll fail, also! Mr. Blackquill, right now, I'm scared that I may be too late as we speak. But, I want to give the life he gave me when he didn't have to back. I want you to remember, Mr. Blackquill that he was my best friend before that terrible day. I often think about my mother and what she would do if I was in your shoes. And I think that she would do everything she can to get me out of jail and be free as a bird!"

Simon was taken aback slightly at her words. Needless to say, the mentioning of her mother was all it took to make him silent and think of her as well. Metis Cykes, his mentor and he kept a promise to her- a promise to her that he'd protect her most precious treasure even if he should make her hate him or if he should die for it as well. Athena was standing in the way of his goal…and if he has to take her down, so be it.

He swallowed before replying without looking into her eyes. "I have a goal too, Cykes-dono. Unfortunately, both our goals require us to destroy the expectations of the other. That's right. You are standing in the way of my goal. I've sworn an oath to…someone that you know. I will not lose to the likes of you, Cykes-dono," he then smirked at her, "Not now, not tomorrow, not ever. Until the end of time, I vow to keep that promise intact!"

Athena couldn't really think of anything to say back at him. Seeing him in shackles, behind a glass in the detention center, as well as knowing his impending fate- it made it very hard for her to speak to him. Maybe in a different setting, she'd be able to talk to him more confidently…like in the courtroom. She didn't forget that he was a prosecutor. So to save the person she'd like to the most, it may have to require her to take him down.

He saw right through her and how she couldn't muster up the courage to say anything. "I see you don't have anything more to say. That is fine. Our ten minutes is up, already. Guard!" he turned his head to call for him. "We are done here! Escort me back to my cell!"

She could only watch him being escorted back by two guards as she felt a watery sensation falling down her cheeks. She was crying. Apparently for Athena, Mr. Blackquill was going to be her enemy…a reluctant enemy. But her heart was also feeling broken by the fact that he told her that the person she'd like to save the most…doesn't want her help.

No, she couldn't let it end this way. She had to be strong…and prove Mr. Blackquill wrong. She worked all this way and her goal is in plain sight. Now, it's time to set the plan into motion.


End file.
